Connecticut western news., 1887-05-04
FIRST STEPS IN AMERICA.
CASTLE GARDEN, NEW YORK,
 ON A BUSY DAY.
The Arrival of 1887 Immigrants of
 Many Different Nationalities.

A buster place could not be discovered when the steerage passensers from three big ocean steamers pushed and crowded themselves out of the floating barges by which they are trans ferred from the steamers to the Garden. There were 1,637, nearly all of whom placed their feet for the first time on American soil La Bretagne landed 965 men, women and chll- dren of the Saxon and French type, and some from Southern Europe and the lower German provinces. The Etruria brought 639. They were mostly Scandinavians, with some stout boys and girls from old Ireland. The Alexan- dria furnished only small quota of 33 from Leghorn and Mediterranean ports.
 Az they landed, chattering in their various tongues, they were huddled together like great drove of sheep in a grove during thunder shower. ''Let lem in." The big doors were thrown open and the procession moved into the amphitheatre. The procession divided upon entering the Castle proper, one line swinging out to the right and the other one to the left After few feet the great river of humanity was again divided on each side, and four smaller streams coursed on into den is fenced in, and the labyrinth of passage ways and wicket gates, clerks desks, and rail ings is bewildering to the stranger, and the Irish lad, in trying to reach the quarters al- lotted to his countrymen, is as likely as not by following the lanes and turninSs to bring
  on the other side of the great room.
 The system, however, is very simple. The procession is divided so that the immigrants may be registered quickly by the clerks. Each line is passed before deskwhere few questions are put to each person. First the name is giv- en, then the place from which he comes his destination, and whether or not he has money. These clerks were decidedly facetlous, and made parenthetica1 and supplementary re- marks in connection with their questions.
 1-a1 ctr yplr red-bearded Irishman, whose lips made strenu- ous and intellectual efforts to close over bull dog teeth. ,,.,oo y ,o.uonsos .,o .s,,;r. .n+ for American citizenship, with a grin
 "French or Italian ?" nodded the clerk.
 'Arrah, it's from the ould sod hail" cried the 1rishman, as the sides of his mouth reach ed away in an almost endless smile. Some laughed and some did not know what to make of the sallies. A ight-haired and 6orid-faced Swedish maiden, when asked whether she was Japanese or Chinese, looked up in silent wonder at the clerk and told her nationality without smile or relaxation of feature. They all said they had money when the question was put to them.
 One of the questions asked was whether tho steerage passenger had ever been in this coun- try before One Irishman said he had lived i'll | Pittsburg.
 Alderman or policeman ?" was the prompt | question of the clerk.
 ''Neither," responded the Irlshman serious, | ly, s'but Oi lave brother who is night | watchman."
 | So it went on until all the four streams had been filtered through the narrow passages and | were turned loose in the rotunda. The differ ent nationalities, of course, formed little clans and groups by themselves, when they discussed l who knows what.
 | The scene was curious one. The Scandlna- vian men in dark colored caps, higher in front than in the back, sat on the queerest looking | old boxes and trunks of every shape conce1v. | able. Women in dark colored, substantial woolen dresses, which were gathered in b1t at the waist and then allowed to take what course they pleased heads tied up with scarfs or hats th"t had lost shape and color, sat like | inhabitants of 8 silent city.
 In the next corner group of Italians nerv ously idgeted about, keeping up an endles! | chatter. The women wore bright coloree dresses of cheap material and had ugly ring dangling from their ears.
 | Interesting groups were those of the Irish people. Those who arrived were mostly stout manly boys who were ready for hard work, ane tall pleasant-eyed girls, whose soft rich brogut was charming they greeted some friends A large crowd of waiting friends on the out side of the building was kept back by police | men. The Irish immigrants have the mos girls and boys to meet them, who in turn car ry them off, baggage and all, from the Gar den.
 There was 8 large number of Films whc came into port. Superintendent Jackson, d ] he saw them pass along, remarked that l many more came none would be left in the native land. ssThere are only 1, 1,5O00C0 Films, he observed, 'and recently they have beer coming over in large numbers. The reason i because they are wanted for the Russian Navy as the Films make the best sailors ia that re gion."
 'sHow do they get away ?" was asked.
 tsRussia does not allow any agents to g among the people to make arrangements fo coming over to this country, but the Films ge a leave of absence for six days. Then the. hasten to seaport town and embark fo America"
 The Films who arrived were all good-lookin, fellows. They generally go West, and man. drift into the lake region.